NMW – how to promote a cultural institution in a modern way?

About the practice

As a cultural institution, the National Museum in Warsaw creates some of Poland’s best social media profiles. They follow trends, are always aware of what is happening socially, culturally, and geopolitically and are inspired by the world's most excellent museums. Instagram, Tik Tok, and Facebook are filled with lightness, humor, and knowledge. They feature freely recycled artwork (remix), collages, motion graphics, quizzes, fun, and educational videos.

About the institution

The National Museum in Warsaw is one of the largest museums in Poland and the largest in Warsaw. It houses collections of ancient art, Polish painting from the 13th century onwards, and foreign painting. It also has numismatic and handicraft collections.

Context

Due to the pandemic and lockdown (2020), the MNW was inaccessible to the public. Communication and the cultural and educational offer had to move to social media. The same year saw the launch of 'Digital MNW', an online catalog of images with free access. The social media team also saw the need to reach out to teenagers with its offer.

Location

National Polish Museum, Warsaw, Poland

Success factors

The key to success is openness to experimentation, mutual creative flow, passion, lightness and humor, and the collaboration of the whole team (including the content department in the production of materials). As well as continuous learning. 

Target audience

Almost every age group, people at risk of exclusion, for Polish speakers

Sustainability

Running social media profiles is low-budget and replicable. It requires certain skills, but they are not difficult to learn. Through social media, the National Museum reaches out to people who are geographically excluded (for example, Poles abroad), disabled or jobless. In social media, it is free to use the principle of reuse, and share.

Digital tools

The National Museum operates several social media channels. Instagram and Tik Tok are particularly noteworthy. The social media team regularly uses phones with a good quality camera, with a gimbal, a micro-port, and a podcast microphone. They use programs such as the Adobe suite, Final Cut Pro, iMovie, Knight Lab, Spark AR, QuizMe for making videos, quizzes, gifs, collages, memes, and motion graphics.

Funding

The social media department is paid for from internal MNW funds. The National Museum also collaborates with sponsors.

Organization/ Institution	National Museum in Warsaw
Good practice link	https://www.instagram.com/nationalmuseuminwarsaw/ https://www.tiktok.com/@nationalmuseuminwarsaw
Address	Al. Jerozolimskie 3, Warsaw
Contact person on good practice	Beata Górska-Szkop, Justyna Borowska - Communication and Public Programs Department, social media +48 22 622 57 81 (Communication and Public Programs Department) lszura@mnw.art.pl